The Railroad Commission of Texas issued 693 original drilling permits in July 2026, including 612 permits to drill new oil or gas wells, according to an Aug. 6 news release from the agency.
The monthly statistics offer a snapshot of activity across the state’s oil and gas fields, which the commission has regulated for more than 100 years. Beyond permits for new wells, the July total included 11 permits to re-enter plugged wellbores, nine field transfers, 58 re-completions, and three reclassifications, the commission said.
Broken down by well type, the original drilling permits issued in July comprised 103 oil wells, 54 gas wells, 497 oil and gas wells, 29 injection wells, and 10 other permits, according to the release. Commission staff also processed 982 oil completions, 545 gas completions, and 249 injection completions during the month.
The Midland district led the state by a wide margin, accounting for 275 of the 612 permits to drill new oil and gas holes and 360 new oil completions, the agency reported. The San Antonio area followed with 76 new-hole permits, while the San Angelo area recorded 70 permits and 91 new oil completions. Statewide, districts logged 541 new oil completions and 189 new gas completions in July.
Detailed data on drilling permits and well completions, along with a district map, are available on the commission’s website, the release noted. Established in 1891, the Railroad Commission is the state’s oldest regulatory agency, with jurisdiction spanning oil and gas, alternative fuels safety, natural gas utilities, surface mining, and intrastate pipelines.